This year we have an awesome group of Christ-followers on the team, and it’s been so cool to watch God growing each guy individually. I see the Spirit moving in each person in amazing ways.
Lately God’s been teaching me a lot about patience and peace, how to lay my burdens down before Him. In the past I’ve been prone to high stress, placing high anxiety on myself for no reason. Honestly, God’s been calling me to dwell in His peace — to be showered by it. He’s been bringing His peace in and around me like a cloud over my life. I want to stay in that cloud. This starts in my quiet time with Him and then permeates into every area of my life, whether I’m at home, on the field or on the mound. Wherever I am and whatever I’m doing, I have a peace knowing He’s equipped me for what I’m about to do. I don’t have to try harder to be something I’m not because He’s designed me for this moment and place. That’s where His grace lies — in each moment we walk with Him. So whether I’m at home with my wife and daughter, at the field doing my daily workout, or on the mound in the heat of competition, He’s the cornerstone of my life. When I live in this peace and lay everything before Him in complete surrender, the Spirit leads me.
This is easier said than done, but when it is done, it’s perfect.
At the start of this year, God put it on my heart to focus on listening to Him throughout this year. Not only did God put this focus on my heart and mind, He spoke through other mentors and Christ-followers in my life who confirmed that same message to me. When you hear the same truth in your quiet time with the Lord and in the conversations you have with other believers, it becomes obvious that God is speaking to you.
I want to listen more and try to truly seek God more in every aspect of my life. A constant work in progress, I have a long way to go…I always will. There’s no limit to the ways in which God can and will speak to you if you open your heart to Him! And when you do hear His voice, it leaves you hungry for more.
“Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the Word of Christ.” — Romans 10:17 (ESV)
God has spoken to me in a multitude of ways, through His Word, through His people and through times I spend quietly in prayer with Him. It would be naive to think God is limited in His ability to guide us, shape us and speak to us.
Even in the craziness of the season, it’s important for me to listen to God’s voice. His peace lives everywhere and dwells everywhere. When you have His peace inside of you, the opportunities for hearing Him grow more evident; they’re in every step and breath of your daily walk with Him. When you’re living by His Spirit, present in His peace, He will also make it clear to you when you step outside of His will. You’ll hear Him when He leads you and be able to follow Him by trusting in His comforting voice. No matter what situation you may find yourself in, His inner peace dwelling within you allows you to quiet your heart to listen.
— Matthew Boyd, Detroit Tigers pitcher
The Increase, part of the Sports Spectrum Network, is a community of Christian pro athletes sharing their personal stories of the decrease of self and the increase of Christ (John 3:30). Visit TheIncrease.com for more stories and videos.
